Flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe

ABSTRACT

A FLEXIBLE CLEANER FOR THE SOLE OF A GOLF SHOE IS COMPRISED F THIN ELASTIC MATERIAL ADAPTABLE TO BE STRETCHED OVER THE SOLE OF THE GOLF SHOE AND IS PENETRABLE BY THE SPIKES OF THE SHOE. THE BODY OF THE CLEANER INCLUDES A WELT PORTION ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF THE BODY TO FORM A PORTION OF THE BODY INTO A SIDE PORTION ADAPTABLE TO RECEIVE THE SOLE OF THE GOLF SHOE. THE BODY OF THE CLEANER DEVICE IS SOMEWHAT SMALLER THAN THE SOLE OF THE GOLF SHOE SO THAT THE BODY MAY BE STRETCHED INTO POSITION ON THE SHOE SOLE. THE DEVICE FURTHER INCLUDES GRASPING MEANS ADJACENT THE SIDE PORTION BY WHICH THE BODY MAY BE FURTHER STRETCHED IN ORDER TO CAUSE DEBRIS ADHERING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BODY TO BE REMOVED THEREFROM.

@hadwell FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS FLEXIBLE CLEANER FOR THE SOLE OF A GOLF SHOE James I. Chadwell, 1 107 East 45th Place, Apt. 17, Tulsa, Okla. 74105 Filed: Mar. 20, 1972 Appl. No.: 236,042

Inventor:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1969 Olson et al 36/7.3 5/1897 OBrien 36/7.3 2/1936 Friedenberg... 36/7.3 2/1971 Taylor 36/7.3

8/1944 Italy 36/7.3

39 63,? ll; ct. 9, 1973 5 7 ABSTRACT A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe is comprised of thin elastic material adaptable to be stretched over the sole of the golf shoe and is penetrable by the spikes of the shoe. The body of the cleaner includes a welt portion adjacent the periphery of the body to form a portion of the body into a side portion adaptable to receive the sole of the golf shoe. The body of the cleaner device is somewhat smaller than the sole of the golf shoe so that the body may be stretched into position on the shoe sole. The device further includes grasping means adjacent the side portion by which the body may be further stretched in order to cause debris adhering to the bottom of the body to be removed therefrom.

10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures FLEXIBLE CLEANER FOR THE SOLE OF A GOLF SHOE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to footwear adaptable to be worn on sporting shoes, such as golf shoes which have spiked soles.

Many types of rubber overshoes for wear over the usual kind of golf shoe have been developed and disclosed and are commonly used by golfers. Some of these are described in the following U. S. Pats: No. 2,032,793 issued Mar. 3, 1936 to Clark et al.; No. 2,260,138 issued Oct. 21, 1941 to Feinberg; No. 2,785,481 issued Mar. 19, 1957 to Joseph; No. 3,486,248 issued Dec. 30, 1969 to Olson etal.; No. 3,559,310 issued Feb. 2, 1971 to Kiela. The patent to Clark et al. describes an overshoe covering a major portion of the upper of the golf shoe and providing a metallic frame portion engageable with the sloe of the golf shoe in a manner that the spikes on the sole and heel of the golf shoe are left exposed and uncovered by the overshoe. The overshoe of Feinberg is designed to cover a substantial part of the upper of the golf shoe, particularly the forward section, and the overshoe is provided with orifices for each of the spikes and that portion of the overshoe bordering each of the orifices is further provided with reinforcements of various kings. The overshoe of Joseph is designed to cover a major portion of the golf shoe and the sole and heel portions are made of self-sealing rubber. The overshoe of Olson et al is very similar to that of Joseph and is likewise provided with a sole portion of a self-sealing elastic membrane. The overshoe of Kiela is designed to cover substantially all of the upper portion of the golf shoe and, in addition to covering all of the sole portion of the golf shoe, also includes hollow spikes which conform to each of the spikes of the golf shoe to encase those spikes.

Each of the overshoes described above are designed primarily to protect the golfers shoes from moisture which may be encountered on the golf course. However, an overshoe which covers a substantial portion of the golfers shoe may become uncomfortable to wear, particularly in warm, sunny weather when it will cause considerable discomfort.

A modified type of overshoe for a regular type mens shoe is described in US. Pat. No. 3,283,423 issued Nov. 8, 1966 to Schovee. This patent describes an overshoe which includes a flexible tab at the heel portion upon which a person may step with one foot as he inserts his other foot into the overshoe. In this manner the overshoe is stretched longitudinally within a central flexible portion to permit insertion of the wearer's heel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the primary object of this invention is to provide a cleaner for a spiked sporting shoe which is inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and easy to use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cleaner for a spiked sporting shoe which is efficient in operation, lightweight, and which will create no discomfort while being worn.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cleaner for spiked sporting shoes which is readily adaptable to various sizes of shoes.

Still another object of this invention is to provide better means to remove debris from the spiked area of spiked sporting shoes.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cleaner for spiked sporting shoes which, while being worn, will not interfere with the normal operation of the spiked shoes.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following claims and accompanying drawings which describe the invention as a flexible cleaner for the sole of a spiked sporting shoe comprising a body of thin elastic material penetrable by the spikes of the shoe with the body including a welt portion adjacent the periphery of the body to form a portion of the body into a side portion adaptable to receive the sole of the shoe, and with the body being somewhat smaller than the shoe sole so that the body may be stretched into position on the shoe sole and'that the body may be further stretched in reaction to a pull on the welt portion. Thus, the invention as described herein provides a simple and easy means for removing the accumulation of debris from around the spike area of the soles of sporting shoes, particularly golf shoes. The thin elastic material, which is preferably rubber, is stretched over the sole of the shoe and is penetrable by the spikes, either inherently if the spikes are sharp, or with the assistance of a simple tool such as a metal cylinder having a sharp, beveled end. The edge of the cleaner is formed into a welt portion which fits over and is held tensionably against the upper surface of the shoe sole.

Golfers, in particular, wear spiked shoes to provide the necessary firmfooting essential for executing a successful golf shot. However, proper maintenance of a golf course usually requires extensive watering to maintain proper growth and replacement of the grass, and there is usually wet or damp underfooting causing mud, leaves, and grass to accumulate on the soles of the golf shoes, particularly around the spikes. This accumulation can build-up around the spikes to such a degree that the golfer often has to remove that accumulation in order to maintain a firm stance. Occasionally the player attempts to remove the accumulated debris by the use of a small hand tool or even by the use of a golf tee.

With the use of my invention debris usually does not build up around the spikes. I believe this is because of the flexiblity and smoothness of the thin elastic material along with the ability of the material to stretch and slip slightly as the shoe sole is flexed. Thus, there is no rigid surface to which debris may adhere. However, should debris adhere to the spike area of the golf shoe while my invention is in place, this debris may be quickly removed by thegolfers grasping the edge or side of the cleaner and, with a slight pull, stretching the material away from the spikes and'the debris will fall off.

Furthermore, without the use of my device it is always necessary to clean the soles of the golf shoes after a round is completed. But, if the golfer wears the device according to my invention he can clean the soles of his shoes by simply removing the device.

In addition, many makes of golf shoes have leather soles which eventually absorb excess moisture and begin to deteriorate. The use of my device will reduce the amount of moisture coming into contact with the shoe soles and will therefore extend the life of the shoes. At the same time, I recognize that modern materials presently used for the construction of the uppers of many golf shoes do not require any type of overshoe to protect the uppers from weather exposure as these materials are essentially moisture resistant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cleaner device according to my invention in position on the sole of a golf shoe with the shoe shown in shadow.

FIG. la is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a cleaner device according to this invention showing an alternate embodiment of the device.

FIG. lb is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 1a showing another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a cleaner device according to this invention in position on the sole of a golf shoe.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3a is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 of the embodiment of this invention according to FIG. la.

FIG. 3b is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 of the embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. lb.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the lines 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4a is a front elevational view of a retaining member according to this invention shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. I is a perspective view of a cleaner device 10, generally, according to this invention as it would be on the sole l2 and heel 14 of a golf shoe 16, generally, which is shown in shadow. The cleaner device is stretched over the sole and heel of the golf shoe and is held in position by the tensionable action of a welt portion 18 of the device against the upper surface of the sole of the golf shoe. Welt portion 18 is formed adjacent the periphery of body portion 20 of the cleaner device and forms a part of the body into a side portion 22 which is in contact with the sides of the shoe sole and side of the shoe heel. FIG. 1 further describes a number of tabs 24 which provide grasping means for further stretching the cleaner device in order to permit any debris to fall away from the position of adherence to the golf shoe. Tabs 24 are preferably of flexible material welded or bonded to the side portion 22.

FIG. 2 describes the manner in which the cleaner device covers the sole of the golf shoe and, particularly, the manner in which body portion 20 is penetrated by typical spikes 26 in a manner as described above. FIG. 2 also provides a bottom view of a retainer 28 which may be formed of any spring-like, flexible material and which may be positioned forward of the heel of the golf shoe to assist in holding the cleaner device in position if it is deemed necessary. A cross sectional view of retainer 28 is shown in FIG. 4 and an end view is shown in FIG. 4a.

FIGS. la and lb describe alternate embodiments of the cleaner device according to this invention. In FIG. la welt portion 18 is formed by the molding, bonding, or otherwise doubling back upon itself a portion of the cleaner device along with the inclusion within this doubled-back portion an elastic band 30 and the extension of this doubled-back portion to form a flange 32 which provides the grasping means for further stretching of the cleaner device. The inclusion of elastic band 30 within the welt portion provides further means for the tensionable holding of the cleaner device upon the shoe sole. FIG. lb describes another embodiment of the invention in which welt portion 18 is formed by the doubling back upon itself a portion of the body but without the inclusion of an elastic band. Also in this embodiment the doubled-back portion is further extended to form flange 32.

FIGS. 3, 3a, and 3b are cross sectional views all corresponding to the views indicated by the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, and in which FIG. 3 provides a cross sectional view of tabs 24, FIG. 3a provides a cross sectional view of elastic band 30 and flange 32 as described in FIG. la, and FIG. 3b provides a cross sectional view of flange 32 as described in FIG. 1b. FIGS. 3, 3a, and 3b further show the manner in which welt portion 18 is formed to rest tensionably upon the upper surface of shoe sole 12.

Since many different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described in detail herein are not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe comprising:

a body of thin elastic material penetrable by the spikes of said shoe, said body including a welt portion adjacent the periphery of said body to form a portion of said body into a side portion adaptable to receive the sole of said shoe,

said body being somewhat smaller than said shoe sole so that the body may be stretched into position on the shoe sole and said side portion includes means by which said body may be further stretched in reaction to a pull on said welt portion.

2. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 1 wherein said welt portion is extended to form a flange.

3. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 2 wherein said welt portion includes an elastic band.

4. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 1 wherein said side portion means includes grasping means by which said body may be further stretched.

5. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 4 wherein said grasping means includes a plurality of tabs.

6. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 4 wherein said grasping means is in the form of a flange.

7. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 1 which includes a retaining member positionable beneath said body to further hold the cleaner in place on the shoe.

8. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 2 which includes a retaining member positionable beneath said body to further hold the cleaner in place on the shoe.

9. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 4 which includes a retaining member positionable beneath said body to further hold the cleaner in place on the shoe.

10. A flexible cleaner for the sole of a golf shoe according to claim 6 which includes a retaining member positionable beneath said body to further hold the cleaner in place on the shoe.

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